Hold Fast
In this month’s Sherborne Times Hanford’s Head, Hilary Phillips, discusses the importance of change but still ensuring Hanford stays true to our core ethos of “allowing girls to fully enjoy their childhood whilst providing them with a creative, academic and healthy education which will enable them to embrace whatever the word may throw at them.”
Hilary writes:
Whereas we used to consider ourselves very much a boarding school, we now have a Core or Plus option for day girls. The Core option is attractive to those who want a shorter day whilst the Plus offer includes a wealth of co-curricular activities and an early arrival and late stay to help working parents. Many families who feel their daughters don’t want to, or are not ready to board, appreciate this option and find that the fully flexi boarding offer can also be useful when an overnight stay is needed.
Our boarders and day girls are fully integrated, and all are part of the Hanford family.
Our co-curricular programme has evolved with the introduction of Journalism club, DJ skills (very helpful for a gap year!) and we are looking at a new club which will be a perfect synthesis of old and new; the girls will get the chance to convert a horsebox into a refreshment bar (cocktails not obligatory).
With our sustainability heads on we like the idea of repurposing and will be looking at the latest ways to power the project.
We have also looked at our curriculum and timetable and will be making changes there too. It’s easy to get caught up in the demand for knowledge and skills and have a timetable which is packed full of good things but lacking the time and space to just be, to let creativity flow, to play and enjoy one another’s company.
We want to make our very modern education continue to reflect the timeless values of our founder.
There’s nothing wrong in holding on to old traditions, but there’s also so much merit in creating new ones. We will be holding fast to that which is good but we will also most definitely seeking out that which is going to be even better!”
You can read the article in full here.
Where Next?
